Forecasts show increase in New Mexicans driving, flying for Thanksgiving

You could say Zoe Park’s family was looking to do something different to celebrate their “destination Thanksgiving,” so why not the City Different?

Her father suggested Santa Fe for the family gathering, the 21-year-old student at Middlebury College in Vermont explained as she landed at the Albuquerque International Sunport on Friday.

“I think this is the second time we’ve been out here, I think I was 6 the last time we came out,” Park recalled. “I remember there being some sort of fruit tree — persimmons — and a really nice house with a pool that we stayed in.”

Park is one of the thousands of folks traveling into New Mexico for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, which is expected to see an uptick in travelers regionally. A recent forecast from AAA New Mexico projects 6.3 million residents of the Mountain Region, which includes New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming, will hit the road for Thanksgiving between Nov. 25 and Dec. 1 — a 2.9% increase from last year.

Daniel Armbruster, AAA New Mexico spokesperson, wrote to the Journal that economic indicators remain strong for traveling, contributing to the increase. Consumers nationally are expected to spend 5.2% more in this year’s fourth quarter than last and, he added, state gas prices are about the same as 2024 at $2.81 per gallon on average.

According to the forecast, 5.5 million people in the Mountain Region are expected to travel by car and Armbruster added that about 9 in 10 people choose to drive. While flying estimates have also increased since last year, he said most pick driving as it offers more flexibility and control.

Diana López, public information officer for the Sunport, said the airport expects to see around 167,000 travelers. That projection, combining both arrivals and departures, is for the period between Nov. 22 and Dec. 1.

Equating to a roughly 2.5% increase from last year, López is hopeful that the extra foot traffic will generate more purchase activity for the Sunport. In September, the airport officially opened its Ascend ABQ program, where nine New Mexican retailers now operate at kiosks in the facility.

The Sunport has also gotten major upgrades as it continues its “Dream of Flight” renovation project, a roughly $90 million effort to rejuvenate the airport with updated dining options, more parking and redesigned areas.

Where airports across the country struggled during the government shutdown, which ended Nov. 12, López said the Sunport continues to operate “safely and smoothly,” reporting no significant disruptions.

As expected, Turkey Day travelers have already begun to flock in.

Rushing down the Sunport escalators, carry-on luggage in hand, Jovanny Baires ran into the arms of his high school sweetheart, Reylynn, on Friday.

After five long weeks in Phoenix for school — and a heartfelt return filled with hugs and kisses — Baires was more than excited to be back home in New Mexico for the holidays.